These prospects broke out on the D-backs' farm in '24

This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert's D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The D-backs' roster is filled with guys who have come up through their system over the past few years, like outfielders Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas. There's also shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and pitchers Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, Kevin Ginkel, Justin Martinez and on and on.

"For us to have success, we need to have a strong Minor League system," GM Mike Hazen has said.

Despite the recent graduations, Arizona's farm system is still strong. Here's a look at how things went in 2024:

3 players who forced their way onto the radar

C Adrian Del Castillo (D-backs' No. 14 prospect)
The No. 67 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft was not unknown heading into the '24 season, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone predicting that he would have had as big of an impact at the big league level as he did. When starting catcher Gabriel Moreno went down with a left adductor strain on Aug. 6, Del Castillo was called up and made his presence felt on Aug. 9 when he hit a walk-off homer, becoming the first player in franchise history to collect his first home run in that fashion. Del Castillo hit an important grand slam against the Marlins on Aug. 19 in a game in which he drove in six runs while playing in his hometown of Miami for the first time as a big leaguer.

Del Castillo still needs polish behind the plate throwing out runners, but the Pacific Coast League's Most Valuable Player and D-backs organization's Player of the Year showed that his bat can play in the Majors.

RHP Yilber Diaz (D-backs' No. 6 prospect)
The D-backs sustained a number of injuries to their starting rotation, with Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Jordan Montgomery and Ryne Nelson all spending time on the injured list. As other young pitchers like Blake Walston also got hurt, Arizona turned to Diaz, who in two stints went 1-1 with a 3.81 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings. He was named the organization's Pitcher of the Year for his efforts in the big leagues, Triple-A Reno and Double-A Amarillo.

The D-backs liked Diaz's stuff and poise so much that he was a candidate for their postseason roster had they ended up making it. The entire Arizona rotation is expected to return for 2025, but depth is important and Diaz certainly staked his claim to get an opportunity by the way he pitched in 2024.

2B/3B Demetrio Crisantes (D-backs' No. 13 prospect)
Taken in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Nogales High School in southern Arizona, Crisantes played in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and Single-A Visalia this past season and certainly showed he can swing the bat. In the ACL, he slashed .355/.431/.521, and with Visalia, he slashed .333/.429/.478. He's still a few years away, but his bat is intriguing.

2 breakout players to watch in 2025

OF Druw Jones (D-backs' No. 2 prospect, No. 82 overall)
The expectations for Jones have been sky high since he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. It's a lot to put on someone selected out of high school who had some work to do on their swing, but regardless, Jones put together a very good 2024 season for Visalia, slashing .275/.409/.405. The talented center fielder could play defense in the big leagues right away, but he still needs to work on his offense. If he puts it all together, he could wind up being every bit the player people think he can be.

SS Tommy Troy (D-backs' No. 5 prospect)
A right hamstring injury limited Troy to just 72 games in his first full season of professional baseball, so his numbers this past year have to be looked at in that context. The D-backs love his bat and his intangibles, and whether or not he sticks at shortstop, they think he has a bright future. If Troy is healthy in 2025, he's a good bet for a breakout season.

1 big prospect question for next season

Will Jordan Lawlar (D-backs' No. 1 prospect, No. 9 overall) stick in the big leagues?
The D-backs' confidence in Lawlar was reflected in their decision to DFA shortstop Nick Ahmed on Sept. 7, 2023, in favor of Lawlar, who made his big league debut in the midst of a heated pennant race.

Lawlar will play winter ball to try and make up the at-bats that he lost when injury limited him to just 85 at-bats in 2024.

When healthy, Lawlar was impressive enough that the D-backs looked at him as a possible addition to their postseason roster had they earned a Wild Card spot. That didn't materialize, and Geraldo Perdomo is Arizona's starting shortstop, but don't be surprised to see Lawlar on the big league roster come Opening Day. The D-backs will find a way to get him at-bats.